During the Republican Convention the hard-right-wingers hardly mentioned, if at all, the king of Congress. He is not an elected member of that august body nor is he an appointed member of any legislative body. He is, however, the most feared man in Washington, D.C. He is the most dangerous man in America and you, average citizen, cannot do a damn thing about it.
He is Grover G. Norquist, the Executive Director for Americans for Tax Reform, which is a blatant non-truth. Mr. Norquist and his ilk have no intention of reforming the American tax laws … his intention is to destroy America and give his rich, right-wing associates the opportunity to buy, steal, or take-over the remnants of what is left of this country.
If there was an opportunity for true tax reform, I’m sure there would be leftist-leaning politicians, labor union leaders, and other people who are not sitting on vast millions who would be very much for … tax reform. But, it appears that Mr. Norquist is guided only by extreme right-wing politics. Mr. Norquist shares a Washington Wednesday meeting, which is a weekly gathering of roughly 150 or so elected officials, lobbyists, and right-wing leaders. These people are not looking at the reformation of the American tax system, but rather looking to destroy any elected official who stands against their principles, which are few and far between.
My Grandma used to say you’re known by the people you associate with. That is, if you buddy around with a bunch of drunks you probably have a similar drinking problem. The people that Grover Norquist buddies around with are all hard-line right-wingers. In this group, moderate is never used in a complimentary way. For example, he is on the board of the National Rifle Association of America, the American Conservative Union, and the Nixon Center.
Mr. Norquist will not tell us how much money he has to spend on elections for those who run for Congress. Nor will he tell us where the money comes from. Who is it that gives up millions of dollars to beat up these congressmen and makes them do Grover Norquist’s bidding? If you do not sign their anti-tax pledge, he will bring much money to bear to beat you in the primary.
And if you win the primary, he will bring money to bear to beat you in the regular election. Then, of course, if you vote for a tax increase of any size for any reason, his organization will do all they can to defeat you. You can’t say, “Let me think about this,” and there is no reason you can name that they will accept as a legitimate tax increase. This man and his organization are out to destroy the American way of elections, and he is out to destroy any compromises for the good of the country. He will see us fall into an abyss before he says yes to any new taxes. Who appointed Grover Norquest king of Congress?
For my money, you can tell Grover Norquist where to stick all of his political money because that’s where it belongs.
Ronn Mott, a longtime radio personality in Terre Haute, writes commentaries for the Tribune-Star. His pieces are published online Tuesday and Thursday on Tribstar.com, and in the print and online editions on Saturday.
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RONN MOTT: Grover Norquist
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